by crystal tiara
Disclaimer/Author's Notes: I don't own Great Teacher Onizuka; Fujisawa Tohru does! And as for the title of this fic, I sort of "borrowed" it from this amazing Korean romance-comedy of the same title. So, having said all this, I hope you enjoy this Yoshito Kikuchi x Urumi Kanzaki fic, and review, if you please. It would be very much appreciated.
I've never really thought much about girls. After all, what was there to understand about them? I used to perceive girls as shallow, that most of them were blessed with beauty but not with brains; and that they were sickeningly emotional. However, I'd also heard that girls could be one's greatest enemy; they could make or break you. They could wrap you around your finger, could set standards among other girls as to what was considered "in" or "out", could deceive you...the list goes on and on. I've heard good things about them as well, but I never really enjoyed the company of girls. I suppose they didn't really like me, either, but I was rather indifferent as to what they thought of me. In fact, never in my wildest dreams had I thought that I would be charmed by one girl so easily.
At least, that was before I met her.
They say that first impressions last, and I do agree. She had me captivated by the first time we met. We were in the fifth grade at the time she transferred to ou I saw her, and I could tell that she was different. While most people were eager to be at school that day, probably to meet their friends, she was unsmiling, as if she was forced to attend school.
"Excuse me," she said, speaking in a tone that sounded wiser beyond her years, "is this seat taken?" She pointed to an empty seat next to mine.
"No," I said, and went back to reading my book. She then took her seat next to me, and said nothing for a while. But a few seconds passed, and there she was, tapping my shoulder.
"What?" I snapped, slightly annoyed at the fact that she was interrupting me. I didn't mean to come off as rude, but I wasn't used to the company of others, and preferred to engross myself in a good book or two.
Unfazed, she asked, "What's that book you're reading?"
"You wouldn't understand," I said.
She continued to insist. "Yes, I will."
"It's a novel. Oliver Twist, by---"
"---Charles Dickens," she finished for me. "I've read it already. I didn't know there was someone else here who read foreign novels, aside from myself," she remarked. "By the way, I'm Urumi Kanzaki. And you are?"
"Yoshito Kikuchi."
And from that point on, I was intrigued. Here was a girl who was different from the rest; someone I could relate to. Someone who shared a passion for books and learning, like me. Someone who wasn't exactly beauty queen material, but was charming in her own way. Someone of knowledge. From the annoying girl who pestered me she became an equal in my eyes.
In a way, we became friends, although I must admit that I did feel a slight twinge of envy when she replaced me as the person on top of the class. We were friends, but rivals at the same time---having a normal and healthy competition for first place on the honor roll. But I could never beat her, and I silently accepted the fact. After all, she was my friend, right? And I had to be happy for her triumphs, no matter how much I coveted her being on the top.
As I knew her more, I found it harder to sum up her personality. The shortest way to describe her was a "walking enigma". She embodied all the qualities of a girl, positive and negative. She was intelligent and reasonable, but she could also be impulsive and irrational at times. She could be kind, but she could be manipulative; could be truthful, but also deceptive. She could be practical and sensible one minute, and have her head in the clouds the next. She was sweet to some people, but incur her wrath and she could be your worst nightmare. She was a spunky and sassy girl, and I admired her for all the qualities and flaws she had. Putting together all her strengths and flaws, she was by far one of the most interesting people I've ever known.
Slowly, I never realized it but after a while, I felt like I was falling in love with her. It started when I saw her not just as an equal, not just as a friend, but something more than that. I felt that I wanted more than a platonic relationship; I was hoping for one of the romantic sort. I wanted to know this girl more, to take away her fears, her angst, her pain; to be the one whom she could share all her secrets with; the one whom she was comfortable with---and I thought, perhaps I must be in love with her. So this was how love felt.
I must admit, though, that I lacked the courage to tell her about my feelings. Whether or not she felt the same, I don't know. For all I know, she could've liked me too, but like me, was too shy to say it. Perhaps that was the case, because both of us had a fear of rejection deep down inside.
Maybe one day I'll gather up my courage and tell her how I feel, at the risk of sounding like a romantic sap. Perhaps she might like me as well...I hope. She might forget me, or find someone else who's captivated her heart, but for me, I don't think I'll be able to find another girl like Urumi Kanzaki.